"No problem," says Kithabel. She flies low over the streets of the town. She fixes sinkholes and knocked-over posts and drowned flowerbeds. Somebody calls her over to fix some stuff in her house. Whatever it is is already fixed before she goes through their door, as though it sensed her approach. "Are you a new flier? I haven't seen you before."

"I don't mind," agrees Kithabel. "I'm fairly new myself, I could have missed you that way and wasn't sure."

"I couldn't tell! Congrats, are you one of the ones with a funky sleep schedule...? I've never had the discipline to manage it."

"Yeah, five and threeish, sometimes five and four. I look young to fly, don't I."

"A bit, I've seen some sorcerers that look, what, maybe twenty five? And then they turn out to be three hundred. Because of course they do. So I'm not judgy."

"I'm actually eighteen," chuckles Kithabel. "How about you?"

"Thirty one! I might go make myself a castle eventually, I've been holding out on it so I can get it to fly."

"I might go ahead and make one that doesn't fly. I mean, how hard would it be to get it to lift off afterwards, as long as I didn't put in a basement?"

"You'd be surprised! Sometimes they get touchy, especially if you put it in a well-known location. People start thinking it belongs there, and then it's hard to move the thing, because not only are you telling it to move, but a lot of people are sort of - telling it to stay."

"Hmmm. Invisible castle probably takes nearly as much momentum as flying one."

"Pretty sure, yeah. You might be able to pull off underwater, though. As long as you spend extra time on like, the windows, telling them they are not allowed to open to the water outside ever."

"Floating, submersible sea castle. Hmmm. On the other hand I might just like having a castle in one place, even if it got stuck there."

She shrugs. "That's up to you. Me, I want a flying castle. So my entire house can just up and move wherever."

Kithabel pauses to glare at an overturned fence. (What overturned fence? It swears it never ever even thought about falling! No ma'am!) "I get the sense you don't like staying put."

"Oh, I couldn't stand to give up flying now I've started, but I like having a home base and I don't mind if the scenery around it is consistently the same."

"I like seeing new stuff! I'd get bored of the same place all the time. If I make it to a hundred I might start visiting places I've been more, see how they've changed, but. Thirty-one. Not there yet."

"What are you counting as places, here, countries or cities or what?"

"Cities, usually, countries don't tend to all look the same on the inside."

She laughs. "Well, no! But if you explore the city and figure out all of the things about it, it's not as interesting. I suppose I'd feel the same way about countries, too, if I could manage to explore them quickly enough that they didn't start changing on me."

"Do you speak a lot of languages?"

"A good amount! Two fluently, two others I can pass in, and like... I know how to ask where the bathroom is in a few more, but nothing else."

"I know almost literally nothing of any other languages. Maybe I should learn. It'd be easy to find occupations if I could move around more places."

"Yup! It's pretty great. I usually don't lack for things to do, and if I do, I go flying around looking."

"Maintaining momentum is so much easier now I can fly! Before I used to have to be booked solid and now I can fill irregular periods of time just flying around."

"I'd do environmental effects when I had nothing better. Little ones, like - sparkling lights when I was excited, some stuff with plants. I still do it sometimes, but not as much."

"I'd tend to play around with wind. Or decorate my notebooks."

"Pretty! ... If I remember right, I'm pretty sure I pulled some pranks, too. Heh."

"Oh dear," snorts Kithabel. "Friendly ones?"

"Friendly ones. Filled one guy's kitchen with little flying paper butterflies, he thanked me for them, thought they were fantastic."

"Awww, paper butterflies, I'm stealing that for my mom."

"Dianira! Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I know like zero other sorceresses, I just meet people for ten seconds putting out fires and then they're off to tunnel through mountains or whatever."

"I know a few, we keep in touch with some magic objects, but I wouldn't say I'm close with any of them?"

"Because you travel too much?"

"Eeeh, a bit? Also they didn't really want to make friends, it was all... 'Keep the momentum going, bleh bleh bleh!'"

"Which, I mean, I get it, we wouldn't have got this far otherwise, but here we are multitasking."

"I know, right?"

"It is only right and proper that I should be able to do several things at once."

"Yeah. I'm a powerful sorceress, I can talk while I work," she snorts.

"What kind of objects did you do for the long distance communication? I gave my parents and the dispatcher wooden beads."

"I do different things for different people, seems more fun and personalized that way. I gave an ex a pretty bracelet, once."

"Was this person your ex at the time they got the bracelet or was this before you broke up?"

"This was before we broke up. I think she threw it in a river, after. Her loss, I have good taste."

"Waste of a nice communication bracelet."

"It really was. Pity. I mean, I can make more, it's not a huge deal. But still."

"Did you make the bracelet itself or just enchant it?"

"Made it! I enchanted things when I was newer, but now I just make the stuff."

"I still enchant stuff a lot - I haven't had a lot of time to cultivate an artistic streak; I can make pretty things but often stuff I find in stores is nicer. Plus, shopping: mom bonding time."

"Aww, that's cute. I tend to crib ideas from things I've seen and tweak them to my liking, rather than designing from scratch. Because, time."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Where are you going after we're done here?" (Aww, there's a treed cat. It is only right and proper that animals should like her - she scoops up the cat and puts it on the unflooded ground and it trots away.)

She shrugs. "No idea! Eastish, maybe? I don't really make plans for these things, I just go where seems interesting."

"Ooh, you could see the falls, there's pretty waterfalls eastish of here."

"Ooo! I like waterfalls. And pretty things. A combo of those two things is even better!"

"I might put my castle on top of them if I don't hold out for one that can fly."

"That'd be pretty. But I bet it would ground it for sure, a castle at the top of a waterfall is pretty memorable."

"It'd be such a nice place to have one though. I could give it to somebody and make a different one if I was desperate to have a flying one later."

"That's fair. That would be a fun conversation with your mom. 'Hey, mom, look, I got you a present. It's a castle.'"

"It's a castle inaccessible except through flying or being able to wade through a really fast river. Here, I made you a winged pony."

Dianira giggles. "That's a better idea. The inaccessible except by flight part gives you extra incentive to not be tempted by the lure of sick days."

"Yeah. I mean, I don't get sick anymore, I got that before flying unless I've just been very lucky. But imagine if I lost flying while at home in the castle, I'd get stuck. I could probably still make a bridge for myself unless I'd been very lazy, though."

"You could make yourself a winged pony, for use in case of flight loss."

"But the poor pony would only see use if I did something I never plan to do."

"Hmmmm. You could... Lend it out to people? Have it come back every night to your magical stables?"

"Hmm. The idea has potential, but I think I'd rather use a non-animal vehicle, regardless."

"Fair. Flying carriage with spectral horses could be fun, or like - if you wanted to rock the waterfall look you could have them be made out of mist? And not actually be alive, just a part of the carriage for looks and effect. You'd be surprised how far you can get with presentation."

"Silver chariot drawn by animate fabric swans. That's my last name, Swan."

"Aw, that's cute! Do that, that's adorable. Even if you eventually get married and change it to, I dunno, Bearington, it's still cute."

"Bearington?"

"I met a couple that had gotten married and picked Bearington as their last name. They were super serious about it, too, I couldn't tell if they were playing an elaborate joke on me or not. I think they were, but they seemed so serious about it!"

"I have taste, thanks."

"I can't say I'm not tempted to pick a hilarious last name, but I don't think I could inflict that on any kids I have."

"You'd have to get the other party to agree to it, too, I hear people who aren't even dating anyone going 'my married name is going to be Apple!' and wondering what they'll do if they fall in love with someone who hates apples, or whose first name is already Apple, or whatever."

"... Pfffff. 'Hello! My name is Apple Apple.'"

"It'd be terribly silly. To be avoided."

Dianira laughs. "It'd be fine for a joke name. But not as an actual name."

"Book character. The adventures of Apple Apple."

"Ironically, Apple Apple hates apples. Loves bananas, though."

"Apple Apple quests for True Love so that they can choose some other surname and at least half of their inappropriately fruity name will be extingished."

"They search far and wide for someone, until at last, they meet Blueberry Blueberry."

"But it turns out they don't get along very well, so instead of getting married they just tell each other about others they have met on their quest and set each other up with same."

Giggle. "Yes! And at last they both get married to other people, and work very hard to not have a hilariously punny name combination. Apple Apple will never accept the last name 'Pie.'"

"Nor 'Tree'. Nor 'Seed'."

"It actually turns out that Apple goes with a lot of things in a punny fashion. Apple Apple ends up yelling at the people responsible for the name, the parents, who definitely did this on purpose."

"Maybe Apple has an older sibling named Red, which is only slightly too cute! And then they ran out of ideas."

"Yes. So they went with the worst one. Moral of the story: parents, be responsible about naming your kids."

"Excellent. Write it up, magic some illustrations, we'll sell a thousand copies."

"We'll be rich!"

"Because sorceresses routinely hurt for money, this is very important."

"Yes, of course, we're like magpies that way."

Kithabel peers around at the town. "Does this look done to you?" she asks.

"What's next for you?"

"I was planning to fly off into the sunset, but, hey, want a communication thingy so we can be friends?"

"Sure. You want a bead or you want to make me something?"

"Hmmm. Bead, you have a theme going and I haven't done it yet."

"Sure." She's got a bunch on her bracelet. She tugs on one; the string passes through it and it comes free in her hand. She hands it over.

"Sure. I'm going home to help a specialist team with a theater they're putting up." Up, up and away goes Kithabel.

"Ooh. I'm excited."

"It'll be cool, you'll like it," she assures.

"But you have so little information about me!"

"But I give good presents!"

"All right. Let us hope your talent trumps the newness of our acquaintance."

"It will!" she declares. "And it won't get in the way of the castle."

"Good. Castles need space."

"Yup! I'm tempted to sprinkle random magic fruit trees around, just everywhere, but that'll be the only crystal apple tree I make. Mostly because it's funny."

"And 'Crystal Apple' joins the ranks of excessively cute names."

Dianira laughs. "Better than Apple Apple."

"Yes, admittedly. Will this bear year-round?"

"Yup! But obviously it'll probably die if I somehow fail at being a sorceress. Unless you tell it not to yourself, of course."

"Well, please don't die or take a week off, that would be tragic. But I will look after the tree even if you do."

"Wasn't planning to do either, don't worry!"

"It's so nice here. I think I feel a castle coming on. I'd better make sure I can get a permit before one happens around me."

"That would be fun to explain. 'Well, you see, I felt a castle coming on, and it just sort of happened? You know how it is with sorcery...'"

"Please don't take me off the dispatch list, pretty please, I need the work. Yeah, permit first." She takes off.

Giggle. "Let me know when it's up, I can come see it."

"Will do. I'm thinking pearl. Pearl and glass and hanging gardens."

"That sounds nice. I didn't realize I was sticking to theme with the tree! Sort of. Go me."

"Maybe I'll have silver details. Front door, a few spires. It'll fit perfectly. Hang on a sec, talking to the guy about putting up the castle."

"Mhm!" She waits.

"Ha! Thought it would be. Sorcerers and sorceresses are convenient."

"We are! So what have you been up to?"

"Travel! There was a farm that had a famine thing that I saw, I swooped in an fixed everything. And other general helpful sorceressy things. Oh, also I crashed a party, did some fancy lightworks, they were fine with me showing up."

"Do you crash a lot of parties?"

"Sometimes! It was an outdoorsy one, it was really tempting."

"Was it Apple Apple's long-awaited wedding?"

"I should learn some languages and travel more. I'm worried that I'd try to do them in too-long blocks of time, though. Maybe I should hire an interpreter and put them in my chariot and fly away with them. Although I'd worry about sorceress turf wars."

"I find that it helps to read a glossary of words while flying, and then just figuring out the grammar and such by talking to people as you're helping them with things. The interpreter idea's cute, though. Sooometimes sorceress turf wars get annoying? If you're a nomad like me they'll leave you alone, though. Just show up and let them know you're in the area but not interested in poaching or anything and you should be fine. They might be rude and tell you, 'No go away' and if you don't that'll cause a problem, but if you shrug and leave them alone they won't care."

"Enh. People skills. I think I'd rather be territorial about my spot. I'm lucky I wasn't born someplace highly trafficked by full sorceresses. Lots of specialists, nobody serious."

Giggle. "Yeah. Try not to get in any turf wars?"

"I'll try. The neighbors aren't looking this way for stuff to do, far as I know. Or the lovely waterfall site would've been taken."

"It might be smart to pop by and ask, anyway, miscommunication can cause problems."

"Is there a polite way to say 'hey, I'm claiming a turf, don't turn up and do stuff on it'?"

"Yyyyyes. Sort of. Not in those words. Don't start off with that, say that you're a new sorceress that just started nearby, and you're planning to make a castle and start working in the area. Or if you've already done that, tell then that you've made a castle already, but you get more invisible points if you tell them before you make the castle. Be polite, but don't be meek, they're sorcerers and sorceresses, they'll think it means you're weak. Usually they'll take the hint about claiming a turf."

"I'm getting the impression that this is very people-stuff and I should bring help or send a representative or something."

"This is very people stuff. Do you want help? I can help."

"I would like help! Unless it will come off as challenging, or something, to come as a pair."

"Nah, not if I play it right and identify myself as a nomad right off the bat. I mean, there's a subtle threat element? Of, 'This is my friend, if you mess with her you are likely to upset me and I will be on her side,' but that can't be helped."

"All right. I'll hold off on the castle until you swing back this way. I'll get a list of the bordering sorcerers and sorceresses who will require visiting."

"Sure. Try to get all of them, some might find it rude if you accidentally snub them. ... Oh, oh, and they'll probably visit you later to see if you've actually done what you've said you're going to do. So be ready for that one."

"That being - making a palace and looking after my town and its environs?" Pause. "Is it going to cause problems that I sometimes go visit my father? He's in a sorcerer territory - the guy doesn't have a problem with me, but I mean it does involve leaving here for a couple of days at a time."

"Nnnot if you prepare for it, it's not a problem. I recommend leaving a constructed messenger when you leave, to great any sorcerers that show up at your house and be nice to them and explain that you are away visiting family. It's also probably a good idea to leave an item there with the messenger to let them speak to you directly - not the beads, some sorcerers get snippy with wanting fancy things. Mirror's traditional, but you can go with something else if it is pretty and fancy and magical. Oh, now that I think of it - don't just hand a bunch of communication items to other sorcerers that you don't know. Do it with friends. I got into a bit of trouble a few years back when a sorceress tried to treat me like her lackey."

"All right, messenger with a mirror-or-something to attend visitors and relay messages. I can do that."

"Mhm! Happy to help you avoid the pitfalls."

"Thanks! Sure is a lot of politics, huh. I just wanted to do magic."

"You're welcome! There's a surprising amount of politics to it. After the first few years it calms down a bit, at least if you're not a nomad. Everyone knows where you are and what you do, where your turf is, so on." Pause. "... Should I give you a crash course in like, sorcerer politics? I sort of feel like I need to do that."

"I'd appreciate it."

"Sure, crash course in sorcerer politics. The really important thing to remember is that sorcerers aren't like magic. You can't get anywhere by pushing them around or expecting them to yield or anything, they are powers in their own right. Similarly, you can't let them push you around, either, or they will never stop. So... Imagine that instead of an all powerful sorceress, you're a country. You can do whatever you like in your own territory, but you aren't allowed to dictate what happens in another country's territory without upsetting them and possibly provoking a conflict. And neither will they with yours. Sorcerers are generally more peaceful than countries, and you don't have the bureaucratic tape or anything, and you're only dealing with the one person, but the principle is similar."

"Hmmm. I've been known to have strong opinions about what other people are doing in their own countries."

"Well, you can offer help, offer advice, but walking in and changing things for them is going to cause trouble."

"Urgh. Okay."

"Annoying, I know. But it keeps them from doing the same to your turf."

"So basically I have to put up with this unless I have lots of sorcerous friends or at least a small army of specialists and I know I can win."

"... Essentially, yes!"

"In the short term I will be appropriately neighborly, I guess."

"Mhm. If you get to have several hundred years of unbroken momentum or something, though, you might just be able to stop playing by the rules."

"That's my plan anyway, just for sheer longevity effects and eventually resurrecting the dead."

"Cool. Good luck to you! Resurrect me if I die, I'd appreciate it a bunch!"

"Sure. Vice-versa too please."

"Mhm! That's the plan, anyway."

"We're all set then."

"Hopefully. But things can always go wrong."

"We will need additional sorcerous friends."

Dianira cracks up. "Send muffin baskets to your neighbors! Make friends with them."

"I'll see if any of them seem nice."

"Mhm! And I will travel around and see if I can find any nice ones."

"We will form a cabal."

"Goats are passé. Doves," says Kithabel.

"But they can be hard to catch!"

"Are you a sorceress or not?"

"Well when you put it like that..."

Kithabel laughs.

"Doves it is! The initiates to the cabal can catch 'em to prove that they're worthy."

"Sure. Should our cabal have a name?"

"... Yes, but I shouldn't be the one to name it, I would pick something really ridiculous."

"Like what, Apple Apple?"

"Like Bearingtons unite!"

"You're very silly."

"Yes. Yes I am. This is why I shouldn't name the cabal."

"We can wait until we have more than two people and then let them have input."

"Works for me!"

"Oh, good. I'm still in transit, I should be there in a few days. Can't only fly, after all."

"Gotta stop and redesign the roses."

"That," she laughs. "If I lose hold of my sorcery now I'd never forgive myself."

"Is there going to be a better time?"

"In several thousand years when I have run out of things to see and do."

"I don't think things work that way."

"They don't? Darn, then I'm just not allowed to retire ever."

"You and me both."

"What an unbearable tragedy. However will I cope."

"Magic?"

"Magic!"

"Any idea what you're going to stop and do? Being a nomad sounds stressful unless you had, like, scouts."

"Eh. Not super stressful? I find scheduling stifling. I show up to places and do obvious magic and usually people will ask, 'Oh can go do this for us while you're here?' And, of course, the answer is often yes. When of course I'm not near people, I just sort of... Do what I like? I don't know how people don't have things to do with magic. I'll flatten out and neaten up roads, clear trees of parasitic plants, create - not castles, but interesting things for people to find if they happen to wander by. I once carved out a cave and added musical crystals that light up and sing when touched, and that copy any tunes they hear. That sort of thing."

"Ooh, I like the cave, I'm putting it on my Whimsy List."

Dianira giggles. "That's how I would describe my job! Whimsy sorceress."

"I usually have enough stuff planned in advance, but sometimes I have an hour and want to do something in it. I did the butterflies thing for my mom, by the way, she loved them, I stuck them to the walls and have them occasionally beating their wings as decoration when she asked."

"Aww, that's cute! It might be fun to put things like that all over her house - things that are ordinary at first glance but occasionally do something magical."

"Whimsy list!"

"Yes," laughs Dianira. "Whimsy list. How do you consign it to a list instead of going and just doing it? I mean, scheduling makes everything straightforward, I guess, you always know what to do next, but I'd get so frustrated with it."

"It means people can rely on me to show up if they make plans with me - for example, I am currently on my way to the library, where I will be restoring old books at a time when the librarians have arranged to have none of them checked out. And sometimes I have more than one idea at once so I'd need to write it down anyway."

"Ehh. Fair, I guess. There's the benefit of having a bunch of us everywhere, you can do the planning thing and I can do whimsy."

"Yep. You can have a look at my list if you run out of things," offers Kithabel.

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks, though!"

"You're welcome. And here's the library. See you soon."

"Soon as I get the mice out of this field. Give me like two minutes and then I can meet you at the falls," says Kithabel.